The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-09-28
Our Judges.


When the system OF an elective Judici-
airy for limited term of years was adopt
ed in Pennsylvania, there were fears in
the minds of many that the Bench would
be degraded by the election Of mere poll
ticians TO 1t and by making seats upon it
the objects of low partisan strife Those
fears have, hoseyer, been nullified- In
general man who has once been APP
pointed by the Governor 10 fill a vacancy
or elected by the people at the beginning
of term, and has manifested his fitness
for the place, has been elected and re-
elected without opposition, the different
party conventions accepting him as their
candidate. And we doubt whether any
where judges can be found with more
spotless reputation than belongs TO those
who are on the Supreme Bench, in the
courts of our cities and in the different
district courts of the State.
Oneof this class is Henry W. Williams,
President Judge Of the Fourth Judicial
District. who was last week nominated
unanimously and on the first ballot by
one of the State Conventions for yacan
cy in the Supreme Court. No man is
better known TO the Presbyterians Of the
State and the country, for as Ruling
Elder be has frequently been member
Of Synod and Assembly; and no man
commands more respect in those Judica-
tories
A personal acquaintance with Judge
Williams began in Pittsburgh Assembly
of 1879 1t was our honor and privilege
not only to be a member of that body,
but to be associated with Doctor, now
President j. H. NJ. Knox, and $. G. Per-
kins' ESQ.,, as counsel to defend the old
Synod of Philadelphia at the bar of the
Assembly in the well known Hermon
Church. Judge Williams, as a member
of the Assembly, was requested by the APP
pellant TO act as his counsel. His course
then as professional opponent made a
time to time since We have been thrown
together in similar legal procedures. but
with, net, against each other. He was a
member of our last Synod and of the
Commission of it which tried the Glen
field Church case As one of his associ-
ates in the Commission we can say that
he, as leading mind largely shaped its
action. Then, on notice of appeal and
complaint being given, he was appointed
with Dr. l. n. HAYS and the writer of
this, counsel to defend the Synod before
the assembly, both in that case and in
the Prohibition Complaint case. DIR.
Hays and we regretted greatly that sick
ness prevented our Colleagues presence
in Omaha regret that would have
been keenly intensified if, by any failure
OF either of us, in his absence, the action
of Synod had been reversed.
In all our intercourse with Judge Will
liams, We have been struck by the pre-em-
inent judicial balance of his mind. That
united with his gentlemanly bearing, am
liability, attaches to him all who know
him. When we add that in 1881 he was
reelected President Judge
of his district consisting of five counties,
being nominated by Republican, Demo-
cratic, Greenback and Granger Conven-
tions, it will be understood why we can,
with the utmost propriety, pay this trib-
ute TO him, with the added remark that
happy is The Church and happy is the
State that have such men as officers and
and that the fact that politicians
present them to the people for their suf-
frages is one of the best indications of
the really sound and healthy moral con-
dition of the body polite. And the fact
that Judges nominated by both the two
great parties can be written OF in a simi-
lar strain takes from this any political
aim r esbgteridH Banner.